“Without a question,” new head coach Steve Sarkisian said, a sly smile crossing his face. “This is a new era of Washington football. We’ve got new uniforms.”

Left unsaid, of course, was that a whole lot of everything is new this year for the Huskies. At least that is the unrelenting hope in the wake of last season’s 0-12 disaster.

If ever a program was in need of change, this is the one. So, yes, things are different at Montlake, starting with the energy and approach.

It remains uncertain how many games the Huskies will win this year, but without doubt there will be more purple passion under Sarkisian than the staid Tyrone Willingham.

Even quarterback Jake Locker, a big proponent of Willingham after being recruited to Washington by the former coach, acknowledges the differences.

“He’s a little more outspoken, a little more energetic,” Locker said. “A little more of a motivator, I believe. “He comes out to practice and is excited to be there every day.”

But the million dollar question is how much — and how soon — that eagerness parlays into wins on the field. Opening against LSU — with USC two weeks down the road — means the Huskies will square off against two of the most athletic teams in the nation before they even begin fall classes at UW.

Ultimately, talent wins football games and Sarkisian is still in the process of sorting through his roster in search of the best combinations.

While offensive line continuity is considered critical for any offense, the Huskies shuffled their deck there Monday, inserting junior walk-on Gregory Christine at the starting left guard position and moving 335-pound senior Ben Ossai back to his left tackle spot.

That sends Cody Habben back to right tackle after he spent much of camp on the left side, news he only received himself Monday morning.

It’s not normally a good sign to be juggling the troops the week of a game, but Sarkisian knows he’ll need people in their best spots against the 17-point favorites from the SEC and it’s better to be aggressive now to get their five best linemen on the field than go forward with the wrong decision.

The Huskies are still seeking answers at wide receiver and tailback as well. Sarkisian said he wouldn’t be surprised if as many as five running backs saw the field Saturday, with redshirt freshman Chris Polk earning the start as the “most complete” back of the bunch.

Three sophomores — Johri Fogerson, Willie Griffin and Curtis Shaw — are also in the mix, along with freshman Demitrius Bronson out of Kentwood High.

Sarkisian noted that his old employer, USC, also used a lot of tailbacks. But let’s be honest. The Trojans were stacked to the gills with highly-recruited backs and often played their depth in blowouts, while the Huskies are more in the self-learning mode at this point.

The same is true at receiver, though Washington appears to have pretty good depth at that position. True freshman James Johnson is listed as a co-starter at one spot with sophomore Jermaine Kearse, a talented returner out of Lakes.

D’Andre Goodwin and Jordan Polk are also listed as potential starters, with Devin Aguilar and Cody Bruns expected to play as well.

Johnson is one of a handful of true freshman Sarkisian said will get time Saturday. Desmond Trufant, younger brother of Seahawks corner Marcus Trufant, is battling with junior Vonzell McDowell for a starting cornerback spot.

Sarkisian said defensive end Talia Crichton and Andru Pulu would also play as true freshmen, along with Bronson at tailback.

What it adds up to is a team with some new talent, a new offensive system, a new coaching staff and new expectations … along with many of the overlying worries about how much can be accomplished with a team in transition.

Locker said the role of the upperclassmen this year will be to go out and lay a foundation for the future, helping turn the corner for a program that hit rock bottom under Willingham.